Automatic gas-valve



(No Model.)

I. B. MILLNER.

AUTOMATIC GAS VALVE.

No. 310,605. Patented Jan. 13,1885.

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ISAAC B. MILLNER, ounnw YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALF TO A. MILES, or BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

AUTOMATI C GAS-VALVE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 310,605, dated January 13, 1885. A pplicaiion filed February 13, 1884. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Isaac l\IILLNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, N. Y., have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Gas Valves; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, in which- Figurel is an elevation; Fig, 2, a longitudinal section, and Fig. 3 a perspective detail.

In charging liquids with gas under pressure it has heretofore been foundimpossible,where the gas has been contained in a tank or fountain separate from the generating apparatus, to charge the liquids in the vessel successively connected to the tank or fountain in an equal degree, for the reason that as the gas in the tank becomes exhausted the pressure constantly decreases; hence there is constant danger of overcharging or insufficiently charging the liquid in the vessels successively connected with the tank.

It is desirable,buthas heretofore been found impossible, to successively charge vessels containing liquid with gas under widely-different pressure from a single tank or fountain and without renewing the charge in the latter.

My invention relates to a device adapted to be attached to the dischargepipe of a tank containing gas under pressure, which will operateto automatically feed and cut off the flow of gas from the tank to the vessel containing the liquid to be charged, when the pressure in the latter reaches a certain predetermined point.

My invention also relates to a device for determining and regulating the point or degree of pressure in the receiving-vessel necessary to automatically cut off the supply of gas, as aforesaid.

My invention also relates to a device for preventing any overcharge of gas in the re ceiving-vessel if the automatic cut-off should for any reason become inoperative.

My invention consists in the provision of an automatic cut-off valve adapted to be attached to the outlet-pipe of a tank or fountain containing gas under pressure, and which will, when a vessel containing a liquid to be charged with such gas is thereunto attached,permit of the flow of the gas into such vessel until a certain predetermined pressure is reached, and will thereupon automatically cut off the flow of gas from saidtank. Y

My invention further consists in the provision of means for regulating and fixing the degree of pressure in the receiving-vessel necessary to automatically operate the cut-off device.

My invention still further consists in the provision of means for permitting the escape of gas from the receiving-vessel if the auto matic cut-offshould fail to operate when the pressure in such vessel has reached the de sired point. Referring to the accompanying drawings,A represents a casing or shell of the device closed at one end by a cap, B, having an outlet, 1), to which is secured the pipe of the receiving vessel.

Upon the face of shell Ais formed a thread ed flange, a, which receives the end of atube, G, and between the end of said tube and the face of the shell is placed a packing, a, surrounding an opening, a, in the face of said shell. sition at the other end of tube 0 by a screwthreaded ring, 0. The tube 0 has an opening, D, throughout its length, and into this opening is fitted a plunger; E,whi.ch passes through the opening a and projects out ashort distance into the cavity of the shell A. The plunger E has a central bore, e, extending from the end which projects into the shell to near its opposite end,and into this bore 6 enter lateral ports or passages e e.

F F represent ports or passages formed in the sides of passage B, and of such length that when their inner ends register with parts ee their outer ends will be outside of the end of plunger E, and thus afford a free passage around the same and through eto the interior of the shell.

Upon the inner end of plungerEis secured a piston, G, that fits and works within the shell A, a suitable packing, 9, being secured in position upon the edge of said piston by a disk, g. The disk 9 is pierced at g g, and the piston G has an opening at H, into which is fitted a valve, h, held to its seat by aspringlever, h, which is secured at h to the piston G. The shell A is cut out at I, and the upper A similar packing, c, is secured in po edge of the opening has a scale with suitable numbers indicating pounds of pressure.

K represents a lever swinging upon the plunger E. The upper end of said lever projects out through opening I, and has an indexlever h at Z pressing said lever down upon the valve h and serving to retain said valveagainst' the ordinary pressure of gas in the receiving-vessel.

The operation is as follows: The apparatus described being secured in position upon the gas-tank outlet, and the pipe leading to the receiving-vessel attached to outlet 1), the gas is allowed to flow from the tank, and its pressure upon plunger E forces the latter back until it is past the opening of passages F, and the ports 0 c register with the inner ends of said passages, thus affording a free passage to the gas through the passage 6 and outlet b to the receiving-vessel. The pistonG having an area of, say, ten times as great as the plunger E, a pressure of ten pounds to the square inch in the receiving-vessel will counterbalance a pressure of ahundred pounds in the gas-tank, and hence when the pressure in the receivingvessel goes beyond one-tenth of the pressure in the tank the plunger will be forced back to its original position, cutting off the flow of gas through passages F. It will be observed that the plunger E is assisted in the opening of valve, and that the piston G is retarded in the closing of the same by the elasticity-of spring K, and it is by coiling and uncoiling said spring that I regulate the amount of pressure in the receiving-vessel necessary to close the valve. For instance, supposing that when the index k is at 10 on the scale the pressure of spring K upon the piston G is ten pounds, it will require an additional pressure of ten pounds upon the piston to close the valve. As the lever K is moved around the scale the spring is coiled tighter, and consequently its pressure on the piston G correspondingly increased, requiring an increased pressure in the receiving-vessel to close the valve and shut off the flow of gas. A further function of spring K is that when it is coiled or uncoiled, as described, it acts to increase or diminish the pressure of the tongue h upon the valve h and in the following manner: When the spring is nncoiled and the index at 10, a certain pressure is maintained upon valve h, the spring resting at the arrow 1. Now, as the index is turned to, say, 80, and the spring coiled, the latter shlfts its point of contact upon tongue h and moves into the position indicated by arrow 2, and, being in that position farther away from the pivotal point If of tongue h, thereby requiring a greater pressure of gasin the receiving-vessel to open valve 71. The valve h is used merely as a safetyvalve, and is only opened if the cut-off mechanism should fail to work.

By means of the above-described device I am enabled to charge anumber of vessels successively to the same degree from a single tank, and by means of the adjusting-lever and coiled spring I am enabled to vary the amount or degree of pressure necessary to close the valve.

A further utilization of the invention consists in its application as a means for maintaining a constant and uniform pressure of gas or air in a vessel from which liquid is drawn from time to time. For instance, if the valve be interposed between a tank containing gas or air under pressure and a vessel containing liquid which it is desired to force from said vessel, the valve will operate to admit air or gas from the tank as the.

contents of the vessel are drawn oft, thereby maintaining a constant and equable pressure until the entire liquid contents of the said vessel are exhausted.

It is to be noted that one side of the easing or shell A is left open, or, rather, has the opening I, through which the air may have free ingress; hence, it there should be any leak of gas around the plungers, there will be no danger of the accumulation of pressure upon the outside of piston G, which would balance the pressure upon the other side and result in preventing the valve from closing.

Having described my invention, I claim-- 1. A cut-off valve to be attached to a gastank and a receiving-vessel, and having two pistons of different size, and suitable passages, arranged substantially as described, whereby a certain pressure of gas upon the larger piston will overbalance a greater pressure upon the smaller and operate to cut off the supply of gas, as set forth.

2. The combination of case or shell A, and tube 0, having central opening, D, and passages F F,with piston G, and plunger E, having central opening, 0, and ports 6 c, all constructed and arranged substantially as described.

3. The combination with an automatic cutoff valve adapted to be adjusted so as to operate under different degrees of pressure, of a safety-valve adjustabletherewith and attached thereto, as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 14th day of February, 1884.

ISAAC B. MILLNER.

Witnesses:

Jos. B. CONNOLLY, H. A. HALL. 

